Ankara:Lithuania's Health Minister, Linas Kukuraitis, announced the possibility of restricting the transit of Russian citizens through Lithuania if a reported case of pneumonic plague in Russia is confirmed as a threat.

According to Anadolu Agency, Kukuraitis emphasized that any potential measures would be coordinated with the European Union, and Lithuania is prepared with procedures and medication reserves to handle a potential outbreak. The minister noted that the reports of a pneumonic plague case in Russia have not been independently verified.

Lithuania's National Public Health Centre has stated that there is currently no increased risk of plague infection in the country, and the reported case has not been confirmed. The reports indicated that a 28-year-old woman from a plague research institute in Russia's Irkutsk region had allegedly died of the disease, but Russian officials reported that tests after her death did not detect pneumonic plague.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is investigating the situation, stating that while no official cause of death has been confirmed, all contacts of the deceased woman have been identified and are symptom-free. The WHO's initial assessment indicates a moderate to low risk for the Irkutsk region, low risk for Russia overall, and a very low risk for the WHO European region.